The invention concerns an arrangement of spacer means between articles such as containers for example bottles or the like, and a process for the production thereof.
The articles which are to be held in mutual relative positions by the arrangement of spacer means may preferably be containers comprising for example glass such as bottles or metal such as cans. For the purposes of transportation between manufacturing works and consumers, such articles generally require protective packaging to ensure that the articles or containers which are disposed in a packaging unit do not come into contact with each other. To provide protection of that kind for the articles, use can be made of spacers which are in the form of flat portions which extend between the articles, transversely to the plane of the bottom thereof, such spacers being for example in the form of partitions consisting of strips of cardboard each having slots extending partially across the width thereof, so that the strips of cardboard can be fitted together with the slots in interengaging relationship and with the strips of cardboard being disposed for example at right angles to each other in such a way as to define a grid-like structure in plan view to afford a plurality of boxes or compartments, into each of which a respective article can be fitted.
However packaging articles such as containers with spacers in the form of partitions of the above-indicated kind gives rise to problems insofar as the aim nowadays is to employ ever increasing packaging speeds, and the use of such partitions rows counter to the endeavour to achieve a high packaging speed, while in addition the use of spacers in the form of partitions involves a high level of expenditure on material.